2022 Locals’ Local Fund benefiting the Monadnock Mobile Food Pantry
Campaign Introduction:
The Locals’ Local Fund will support local farmers who will be selling fresh, local food at a negotiated price to Monadnock Mobile Food pantry. The Fund will be managed by the Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition in collaboration with The Community Kitchen, the operational partner for the mobile food pantry.
The Monadnock Mobile Food Pantry is committed to strengthening an equitable and ecologically sound local food system by improving access to fresh, sustainably produced, local food for all Monadnock residents.
- Our Story
- Contributors
- Updates
- Discussion
Campaign Story
Locals’ Local Fund: Getting Fresh and Local on the Monadnock Mobile Food Pantry
History:
One of the Monadnock Region’s greatest assets is our abundance of local farms and food businesses and the resilience of our food system. The COVID-19 pandemic caused this system to be challenged. Beginning in 2020, local farm product sales were disrupted as markets, restaurants and other income-generating avenues were significantly reduced. Farms also often rely on direct-to-consumer sales through farmers markets and CSAs to make a living, all of which were negatively impacted. Despite these challenges, many farmers reached out to contribute healthy food to the neediest among us.
Many families and children in the Monadnock Region experience food insecurity which is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. According to Feeding America, the overall food insecurity rate in Cheshire County was 9.5% in 2019 and the rate for children was 12.7%.1 These rates are higher than the state averages which were 8.8% and 10.9% respectively.
The Food Access Alliance (Alliance), a work group of the Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition, led two initiatives to address resiliency for farms and communities experiencing food insecurity: a feasibility study for a mobile food pantry and a comprehensive food access analysis of hunger in our region.
Key findings from initiatives include:
- Community partners are enthusiastic and committed to the success of a mobile food pantry.
- The mobile food pantry would partially address a serious service gap in the Monadnock Region given increased unemployment, lack of transportation infrastructure, local pantries operating very limited hours with limited or no fresh produce offerings, lower than national average participation of eligible households in SNAP/EBT and other food assistance programs, low minimum wage, and high housing costs.
- Over 300 individuals experiencing food insecurity stated access to fresh vegetables, dairy, and meat was highest priority in meeting adequate nutritional needs.
The Locals’ Local Fund will support local producers who will be selling fresh, local food at a negotiated price to the Monadnock Mobile Food Pantry. Although other programs offer some level of support to farm produce sales in the state, such as New Hampshire Feeding New Hampshire, the scale of these programs will not provide significant market support for Monadnock farmers in the short-term.
The Locals’ Local Fund will help ensure that local farmers and producers will be able to sell their products at a fair price contributing to the resilience of the regional food system. The Fund will be managed by the Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition in collaboration with The Community Kitchen, Inc., the operational partner for the mobile food pantry.
The Monadnock Mobile Food Pantry is committed to strengthening an equitable and ecologically sound local food system in collaboration with local farmers, food hubs and food advocacy organizations.
Want to make an offline donation? Please make your check out to Cheshire County Conservation District (Memo: Mobile Food Pantry) and mail it to CCCD, 11 Industrial Park Drive, Walpole, NH 03608
Campaign Contributions
Name | Location | Date |
---|---|---|
Len Perham | Saratoga, CA | September 30, 2022 |
josephine russell | surry, NH | September 26, 2022 |
Tory McCagg | Jaffrey, NH | September 26, 2022 |
Anonymous | keene, NH | September 13, 2022 |
Michael Conway | Keene, NH | September 07, 2022 |
kristen petricola | Keene, NH | September 06, 2022 |
Laura Carbonneau | Keene, NH | June 24, 2022 |
Emerald Levick | Gilsum, NH | June 23, 2022 |
Lauren Ottani | Longmeadow, MA | June 23, 2022 |
Roe-Ann Tasoulas | Keene, NH | June 23, 2022 |
Anna Bradshaw | Keene, NH | June 11, 2022 |
Maria Bradshaw | Keene, NH | June 10, 2022 |
Kevin Morris | Marlborough, NH | June 04, 2022 |
Melinda Mosier | Keene, NH | June 03, 2022 |
George Libbares | Greenfield, MA | June 03, 2022 |
Lynne & Michael Keating | Marlborough, NH | June 02, 2022 |
Bethany Hodge | Hinsdale, NH | May 28, 2022 |
Anonymous | Keene, NH | May 28, 2022 |
Amy Bright | Peterborough, NH | May 27, 2022 |
Edith Pucci Couchman | Hollis, NH | May 26, 2022 |
Anonymous | Hancock, NH, NH | May 24, 2022 |
Amanda Littleton | Chesterfield, NH | May 23, 2022 |
Annie Dintino | HARRISVILLE, NH | May 23, 2022 |
Piper Tasoulas | Keene, NH | May 23, 2022 |
Mack Tasoulas | Keene, NH | May 23, 2022 |
Anonymous | Keene, NH | May 23, 2022 |
Jo Wadleigh | Wilton, NH | May 21, 2022 |
Tricia Zahn | Wilton, NH | May 21, 2022 |
Georgia Libbares | Chicago, IL | May 18, 2022 |
Sarah E Bradshaw | Southern Pines, NC | May 17, 2022 |
Lisa Luedeke | Peterborough, NH | May 17, 2022 |
James Klein | Culver City, CA | May 17, 2022 |
Anne McBride | Nelson, NH | May 16, 2022 |
Patricia Beffa-Negrini | Harrisville, NH | May 13, 2022 |
John Rixey | Fitzwilliam, NH | May 11, 2022 |
Anonymous | Harrisville, NH | May 11, 2022 |
Nora Traviss | Keene, NH | May 11, 2022 |
Lisa Sieverts | Nelson, NH | May 10, 2022 |
Sarah Dengler | Rindge, NH | May 10, 2022 |
Judi Lang | Nelson, NH | May 10, 2022 |
Karrie Kalich | Keene, NH | May 10, 2022 |
Becky Dunn | Nelson, NH | May 10, 2022 |
Nancy Fey-Yensan | Fitzwilliam, NH | May 09, 2022 |
Margaret Barney | , | May 05, 2022 |
Monadnock Food Co-op | Keene, NH | May 05, 2022 |
Cassandra Curtis | , | May 05, 2022 |
Brian Bishoff | , | May 05, 2022 |
Jenny Wooster | Winchester, NH | May 05, 2022 |
Carol Jue | Keene, NH | May 05, 2022 |
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